Fire-extinguisher.



No. 883,149. PATENTED MARQ24, 1908.

J. G. SHAPE-R. FIRE EXTINGUISHER.

APPLICATION TILED SEPT. 18. 1906.

WITNESSES: v [NVE/V'TOR. W By an V ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN C. SEA-FER, OF EDINA, MISSOURI ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHN R. SHUMATE, OF

EDINA, MISSOURI.

FIRE-EXTINGUISHER Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 24, 1908.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN C. SHAFER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Edina, in the county of Knox and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful F ireExtinguisher, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to fire extinguishers.

It is Well known that buildings or houses are sometimes destroyed by fires which origi' nate in the chimneys or fiues.

The object of the invention is to equip a chimney or flue with means for easily and quickly extinguishing a fire therein.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will appear as the description roceeds, the invention resides in the comination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of invention herein disclosed can be made withp in the scope of the following claimswithout departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification: Figure 1 is a vertical section, partly in elevation, through a chimney provided with a fire extinguisher constructed in accordance with the present invention; and Fig. 2 is a view taken at a right angle to Fig. 1.

Like reference numerals indicate corresponding parts in the different figures of the c rawmgs.

The reference numeral 1 indicates a chimney. In carrying out the present invention, it is proposed to mount above the chimney 1 ,a receptacle such as 2 which is ada ted to contain water or anysuitable chemica adapted when released to flow down the chimney and extinguish a fire.

The means for supporting the receptacle 2 above the chimney 1 preferably consists of a frame made up of the springs 3 which are connected with each other at their upper ends by means of an approximately semicircular cradle 4 in which the rece tacle 2 is mounted. The springs 3 at their ower"ends project into the upper end of the chimney 1 and are held resiliently in engagement with the walls of said chimney by means of angular clamps 5 which are secured to the springs 3- at their inner ends and fit down around the outside of the chimney 1, as indicated at 6. The angular clamps 5 serve to support the receptacle 2 in raised position and the springs 3, by pressing outward against the walls of the chimney, serve to hold said re-- ceptacle firmly in position to prevent the same from swaying in a wind.

The means for permitting the chemical in the rece tacle 2 to flow down the chimney 1 in case 0 fire, preferably consists of a stopper 7 which is detachably secured to a lever 8 by means such as the screw 9. The stopper 7 fits up into the lower end of a flared outlet 10. For the urpose of supporting the lever 8, the receptac e 2 is provided with a pair of spaced lugs 11 between which the upper end of the lever 8 is pivotally mounted, as indicated at 12. The stopper 7 is held normally in en agement with the outlet 10 by means of a coi spring 13 which is connected at its lower end with the lever 8 and at its upper end with an arm 14 secured to the receptacle 2. For the purpose of withdrawing the stopper 7 from the flared outlet 10 in case of fire, a draw rod or wire 15 is connected with the free end of the lever 8 and is conducted down the chimney through guides or eyes 16 to any suitable portion of the house or building where it is provided with a handle 17. In case of fire, a person in the building, by drawing downward upon the handle 17, will rock the lever 8 and cause the stopper 7 to be withdrawn from the outlet 10 so as to permit the discharge of the chemical in the receptacle 2.

In order that the chemical or other fluid as it is discharged from the receptacle 2 may be spread out so as to impinge against all the walls of the chimney 1 to extinguish a fire, the stopper 7 preferably is made bell-shaped at its lower end, as shown, so that when the liquid strikes the bell-shaped or flared portion ofthe stopper it will be spread outward against all the walls of the chimney.

In order to provide self-acting means for extinguishing a fire in a chimney, so that the contents of the receptacle 2 will be discharged into the chimney even in the absence of any person who might operate the handle 17 or in case the fire is not discovered in time, the stopper 7 is formed of some readily fusible material such, for example, as lead or rubber, so that the intense heat generated by a fire in the flue 1 will melt said stopper and cause the contents of the receptacle 2 to be discharged into the chimney.

It is for this reason that a screw such as 9 is employed for fastening the stopper 7 in place. Each stopper 7, in the'course of its manufacture, will be formed in its lower end with a threaded socket to receive the screw 9 so that in the event that one stopper has been melted by excessive heat and it is desired again to place the apparatus in readiness to extinguish another fire, a new stopper 7 will be secured upon the lever 8 by means of the screw 9. For the purpose of filling the receptacle 2, a plug 18 is detachably fitted into the up er end thereof.

By reason of the fact that the improved device of the present invention can be operated either by hand, in case some person discovers a fire, or canact of itself in the event of an undiscovered fire, the efiiciency of the invention is very great. The improved device is strong, simple, durable and inexpensive in construction as well as thoroughly efficient in operation. It also serves to give the chimney an ornamental appearance; to exclude sleet, snow and rain; and to obstruct the upward passage of sparks.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination with a-chimney of a frame having spring arms fitted into said chimney and clamps engaging the upper end of said chimney, a receptacle supported by said frame and adapted to contain fire extinguishing material, a fusible stopper fitted into said rece tacle, and manually-operated means for wit drawing said stopper.

2. A fire extinguishing device having a frame adapted to be engaged with a chimney, a receptacle supported by said frame and adapted to contain fire extinguishing material, a fusible stopper ada ted to be destroyed by excessive heat tted into said receptacle, and means adapted to be manually-operated for withdrawing said stopper.

3. A fire extinguishing device having a frame consisting of a plurality of springs, an .approximately semi-circular cradle connecting the upper ends of said springs, angular clamps secured to said springs and adapted to engage the upper end of a chimney, a receptacle supported in said cradle and having a flared outlet, a lever fulcrumed upon said receptacle, a fusible, bell shaped stopper connected with said lever, a spring secured at one end to the receptacle and at the other end to said lever for holding said fusible stopper in said flared outlet, and a draw rod connected with the free end of said lever.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses. 

